Bottle closure



May 22, 1928.

l W. P. HENRY BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed June l2, 1926 'Il .IIIIIIIIIIII W12/mm P/,emy lNvT-:NToRv BY 552g ATTORNEY 'i in Patented May 22, 1928.

VUNITED STATES WILLIAM I. HENRY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOTTLE CLOSURE.

Application led June 12,

My invention relates to a closure for the filling and discharging opening of a vessel or container, but more particularly a closure for the opening of milk 'and cream bottles in connection with which certain particular requirements are desirable and important and sometimes essential. c More specifically the objects of my invention includethe provision of a closure for milkbottles that will be economical to make, serviceable in every respect, and above all economically applied for their proper functioning. As to the application, my invention involves a closure which may be either hand applied Where the volumetof bottlin' business does not Warrant the installation o expensive machine equipment for aixing the closures, or Where machine equipment of the simplest existing form exists, in which latter case my closure permits of more economical l caping of bottles .than heretofore has been the case where rsanitary protection of the bottle lip is desired.

With these characteristics and objects, which will more particularly `appear from the following specification, particular embodiments of my inventionare shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. I is a vertical section of the top or neck of a milk bottle with a form of my closure affixed. p

Fig. II is half of a vertical section of a milk bottle rim with a cooperating attaching plugy or mandrel, approximately double full size. l

Fig. III is a cross-section of half of a closure as manufactured before attachment to a bottle neck.

Fig. IV is a modified form of closure as manufactured, in cross-section.

Fig. V is a cross-section of another modified form.

F ig. VI is a crossesection of another modified form of closure. l

Fig. VII is a perspective bottom view of a closure.

Fig. VIII is a perspective view of the top side of a closure. i

. Fig. IX is a perspective view of a disc or cap portion, separated forillustration.

As shown, the disc, usually called the cap 1, is 0f stiff pasteboard covered with parafli-ne to make it impervious Ito the milk or other contents of the bottle and fory sanitary 'purposes. Above this cap is a cover 2 which of the device.

1926. Serial No. 115,591.l

is consolidated with the cap 1, in various ways. This coverv comprises a portion 3, which is a flat disc-shaped member of material preferably not as stifll as the material of the cap and extending almost to the edge of the cap 1, but leaving a small clearance, as shown in Fig. III. Another portion `of the cover extends laterally at 4 and forms a skirt 5 fitting the outer surface of the bead,v that is the upper portion of the top ofthe bottle, which preferably terminates at: 6 in an attenuated or even ragged edge adapted to cling to the smooth surface of the glass of the bottle.

As shown lin Fig. I, the `cap is glued throughout the major portion of their juxtaposed surfaces, While in the form shown in Figs. VII and VIII there is a plurality of thin Wire staples 8 punched into the upper surface of the cover layer of paper or other material, and clinched as shown at 8', preferably into the material of the cap 1. These prongs on or adjacent the inside surface of the cap 1 may be covered with parafline, but in any event they are punched from the outer or top side, or in such manner as to absolutely preclude the chance of their becoming detached and falling into the milk, and they are so fashioned and applied as to prevent any interference with the hermetic sealing In Fig. IV the cap 1 has the closure 2 attached by the staples 8, but one of 'the staples 8El is preferably larger and stronger in order that it may hold the adjacent material of the flat portion 3 of the cover so that a flap 9, cut out of the material of the cover portion 3, is provided as a finger hold or grip which may be easily raised by thefinger nail and give a sufficient hold to raisefthe entire closure out of the neck of the -bottle from its locked position. It may also be provided that such removing flap tears the cover A away from the disc 1 by dislodging the staple 8, by making the other staple v stronger, so that the first act of attempting to remove the closure constitutes an act of violating the integrit of the structure, and thereafter the more ythe bottle. In Fig. V a staple or clinch 8*4 i rm connection by hthe other staples permits pulling out thecap,4

is shown, which connects the cover portionl 3 with the disc or cap 1, and which simultaneously and firmly connects a removing tab 9, of tough paper or other'suitable material so securely held that the pull thereon will dislodge the entire closure from the bottle neck. In Fig. VI is shown a connection between the cover and the locking disc 1 comprises a relatively large staple 8, and one or more smaller staples 8, which aim to provide for a complete central portion 3 of the cover 2, in a manner whereby the staple 8d will tear away from the disc 1 when the bead 5 of the cover is ripped or pulled away, and thereby mutilate the complete unit structure, but which still leaves a firm union due to the more robust clinch of the staple 8 which thereupon serves to pull out the cap 1 which is the real stopper, by means of the entire cover as a handle of more convenient and ample size for manipulation.l

It will be seen from Fig. II that an attaching plug or mandrel 10 is readily provided with a pressing or battering top 11, and a closure set-rim 12 which is of an exact size necessary to press the cover portion 3 near its recessed rim, and thereby transmit the pressure near the periphery of the ca p 1 in order to drive the rim of the stoppercap to the seat or shoulder 13 formed in the lass of the neck of the bottle. Likewise t is rim 12 of the plunger or mandrel will be guided by the formation at 14, so that the edge of the setti-ng-rim 12 will be always concentric and thereby drive the closure, top and cap, close to its rim, to a firm seat on the step 13. Such a mandrel will, furthermore, conform at the surface 15 with the standard section of the lip surface ofv the bead of the bottle, with only such tolerance or allowance necessary to accommodate the thickness of the skirt where it fits the outer surface of the bead, and to accommodate the lateral portion of the cover at 4 where the process of manufacture in stamping the cover may accumulate a slight excess of thickness of paper or pulp. It will here be seen that Fig.l II, in conjunction with Fig. III, illustrate in more detail important requirements for producing the most successful form of my closure, for most economical production as well as for the assurance of more uniformly secure attachment. In particular this is realized by having the cap 1 of the necessary thickness, such as aproximately four to five hundredths of an meh, with stiff paper suitably paraiiined and of a texture that assures the lip 1a adapting itself to a crimp shown at 1", in order to form a locking engagement with the wall 16 in the neck of the bottle above the seat 13, which wall 16 is practically cylindrical, or slightly varies in diameter if glass manufacturlng operations permit, as,

for instance, very slight bul ing in cases of the minimum diameter at t e extreme top of the wall neck. With such a disc the cover portion being formed of hard or tough paper, and in no case fragile, the union of the portion 3.of the cover with the top surface of the cap 1 provides a stout bulk of material of a minimum thickness, so that the pressure on the mandrel 10 causes the edge rim 12 to force the periphery of the portion 3 of the cover into the neck, and with the rim guided concentrically it transmits the pressure to the capor stopper-disc 1 on a circle close to the rim so as'to force the disc to its seat 13 and permit the small annular portion lu to bend or crimp in order that it may slide into the bottle neck along the wall 16 simultaneous with a sli ht deformation in the nature of buckling, which leaves theY sto perdisc 1 seated firmly and sealing the ottle by contact with the step 13, with its periphery in engagement with the wall 16 in a manner that resists extraction against any normal pressure of the contents of the bottle. The advantage will thus be realized in having the contact of the cover portion 3 at its periphery 3, immediately adjacent the edge of the stopper-disc 1, in order that the closing or sealing pressure by a mandrel, or even by the finger, will force the disc near its edge, and not at its middle, into the locking position, in order that the stop er-disc mayy properly reach its seat and t at the slight excess of material due toits size, will be deformed at its rim for the urpose of the locking enga ement. The importance of this will be rea ized when it is considered that in the formation of glass bottles, suitable for milk, cream, buttermilk and the like, the neck is most readily 'formed substantially cylindrical from the extremity inward along the wall 16, and to the seat 13. l

Even though any recess might be formed, it would be inviting unsanitary accumulations or defeat the purpose of simplicity in cleaning for reuse.

In the case of hand closing and where no mandrel or plug is used, I may form the lateral walls 4 of the cover 2 as shown in Figs. IV and V, namely, with a sharper bend at 3 and a straight wall only slightly dverging to the top 4 of the bead, and preferably made of stiffer material than when intended for machine application. By this formation I provide a short, stiff, almost cylindrical portion of the cover serving to transmit pressure from the top of the bead 4 directly to the disc close to its edge but inside of the rim 1". The material can be such, and the cover made and attached to the disc in a way admirably suited to insure pressure on the cover forcing the locking disc or stopper 1 to its seat all around, while at the same time forcing the rim of the cover snugly on to the bead of the bottle top.

In the 'form shown in Fig. IV it will,

' furthermore, be lnoted that forming the flap V 7 A9 removes part of the material of the flat to omit the'flap, andywhen so made the cover portion comprises the bead fitting skirt with the wall 4 and asmall annular rim which 1s securely fastened, preferably glued, on to the top surface of the disc A. In this latter form the paper or other material used, that is cut out of the area 3, is saved in the ultimate product, and while it might then bey scrap ed, it might also constitute discs K that cou d be ofthe exact size for use on other product. In fact, as there is a variation or at present there are at least two sizes vof diameter in general use for the sealing caps of bottles, in case'it is found desirable to use the same quality of material in the cover, then the disccut out of the portion 3 might serve for use as the closing disc or stopper in smaller sizes of closures containing my invention.

The closure thus `serves most admirably the securing in the normal and preferabledesign of bottle necks both as to security of closure, and also with reference to the attachment and in addition the simultaneous attachment of the cover to conform to the lip of the bottle orifice. The lip of the bottle is preferably formed with a slight ycurvature over which the cover portion .4 fits, substantially horizontal and downwardl curved where the portion 5 ofthe cover fits to a point 17 where the usual manufacture of bottles leaves a slight but varying flash or excrescence in the glass. This flash 17 may be in the horizontal plane of the step 13, but may vary depending upon the process vof manufacture of the bottles, and in any event it provides a slightl rid e which may be ahnost as muchas the thic ess of lthe required paper vmaterial used in the cover, namely, in the order of' .025 to .003

'in thickness. Thus the cover edge 6 may readily be made for'standardization in its adaptation to standardvbottles, so that the flash on ridge 17 protects the edge 6 of the cover, and in this manner the ridge forms a guard to prevent accidental pulling of the cover edge 6' to minimize the chance of accidental dislodgment of the entire closure. At the same time V7this cover in no way interferes with the ordinary handling of the Vbottle by grippingthe reentrant outside curved surface 18 ofthe bead below the top of the bottle, which normally forms the convenient gri for the milkmen, andsired, for the purpose of clear printingwhich is usual in milk bottle Stoppers, and being a unit the printing of the bottlers name, the day of bottling or the timeof bottling may be printed on the outside cover and not on the inner disc which forms the actual closure, but still consolidating the inside closure with the cover in such a way that. the identity of the bottling'v` is inviolate so far as any difference between the closure disc or cover is concerned. Both closure and cover are one, with the parafline contents protection assured by the inside surface which also locks in the bottle, while the outside cover can be of thermaterial best suited for handling and printing and to suitably cling to the lip of the bottle and protect it under all of the normal and ordinary conditions. It provides also that the disc may be made of the best material suitable for its function, while the cov er material may be made of different rial best suited to avoid the collection or retention of dust and dirt, and amply toufgh forthe ordinary pulling operation and or the handling .of the stoppered bottles, while the particular structure provides for 'the driving home of the unit into the neck of the bottle in a manner that assures a properA sealing of the disc without the chance ot- 10a rupturing any of the paper or other material used in the operation, no matter how hard a pressure may be required to properly seat the disc on the inside.

While many variations may be made in details of design or changes in material, from my preferred forms herein described in detail, without departing from the spirit of my invention,

What I claim and desire to secure `by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of manufacture consisting of a unit comprising a bottle lip tor adapted to be held to the bottle top by a sealing cap and having the two elements of a disc of stiff paper or like material parained or similarly treated on the bottom and adapted in size and stifnessto be inserted into the neck of a. bottle by pressure and to resist ejection due to internal pressure, a second art secured around said disc near but slightly away protecfrom the periphery and having a rislng wall outward and downward over the lip and the .immediately adjacent outer surface of the bead of a bottle and having its outer rim of a diameter sli htly less than the maximum diameter o the outer surface of the bottle bead whereby upon pressing the disc into sealing position thev outer rim of the cover moves to a sealing contact with the outer surface of the bottle bead above the line yof its maximum diameter.

2. An article of the character described havin its hood formed from theunion with the disc in a truncated cone with straight walls adapted to transmit pressure on the top of the cover to the disc in an annular area near its rim and against the disc-en `aging ledge in the neckof the bottle, and

ving the outer depending rim of the hood of a diameter slightly less than the maximum diameter of the outside of the bottle bead to enga e and form a seal against the outer sur ace of the bottle bead above its line of maximum diameter when the disc is forced to its sealing seat.

3. A bottle stopper comprising a. locking disk adapted to resist the internal ressure of t e content li uid of the bot e7 a cover consolidated wit(i1 said disk, a umon between the cover and the disk permitting pressure in a circle so close to the peripheiil of the disk for its application that 1the d' and cover are forced to the seating position without rupture of the cover material and contiguous extension of the cover over the lip ofthe bottle and terminating with its lower edge in forced contact with the outer surface of the bottle lip above its maximum diameter to prevent ingress of moisture or iirpurities over the bottle lip from the outsi e.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this application this 11th day of June, 1926.

WILLIAM P. HENRY. 

